More unexpected(?) twists and turns! As usual, please review if you'd like, as it'll really give me the motivation to write more and better! Please enjoy this chapter as well!


Subaru woke up to the smell of fresh, hot toast.

Toast?

Subaru peeled his eyes open slowly. Almost instantly, he realised the lack of warmth beside him, and he half sat up, leaning on his elbows and adjusting to being awake. Right before his eyes, there was Yui's silhouette, with her back turned towards him. She was so slim and so petite, her blond locks falling all around her shoulders, that he caught himself sort of smiling when he shouldn't.

Yui then spun around, the tea in her hands, and she caught sight of Subaru while she did. He wiped his smile off before he could notice.

"Hey! Good morning, Subaru." Her smile was so bright that it threw him off for a second. He mumbled 'good morning' as well, and crawled out of bed.

Yui had made toast, sausages and hot tea. Of course, she didn't have much to work with, but it looked decent.

"I made two sets, in case you were hungry," she said, as she arranged the cutlery. "Although, if you prefer, I-."

He could swear that she was deliberately out to give him a freaking heart attack at the start of the day, when she tugged the collar of her blouse down to expose her skin.

"No!" he unintentionally yelled, embarrassed at the same time. "I-I mean, I just drank from you last night!"

Yui blushed, her fingers accidentally reaching up and touching the scars that Subaru had just left. She flinched when they hurt, reminding her of how new and fresh the bites were. It did not slip Subaru by.

"Uh, hey, do they hurt?" He took a step closer. "I didn't mean to, y'know-."

"I don't mind," she smiled at him, "I really don't."

Subaru had no idea to respond to that, except to just take a seat and try to act less awkwardly around her. If Ayato even knew, he'll have his head for sure. Ayato…

It hit him that he hasn't told Yui about him yet. It's been days since Ayato started receiving treatment for his slash wound at the hospital in the demon world, and also days since he knew of the information from Reiji. It might make her feel bad, but when Subaru thought about it, hiding it seemed like an awful thing to do too.

"Hey, Yui," he opened his mouth to say.

"What is it?"

"Listen," he swallowed, "I know I brought you here and all, but when I made a trip back to the mansion a few days back, I found out that…"

"What did you find out?"

"That Ayato was slashed, by a silver knife. He's in the hospital somewhere here. I didn't mean to keep it from you, but I was thinking, maybe you were worried about him-."

Yui looked confused, her head cocked to a side.

"Who's Ayato?"


She could swear that she almost felt like Subaru was joking with her, except for the fact that he never seemed to pass for that sort. But she's never heard of the name. It didn't bring back any memories, and it sounded completely foreign. Who could it be?

"You…don't know who Ayato is?"

Yui shook her head.

"Should I?"

"You're joking, right? Ayato, he's…you've been with him for the past year. He's in the same class as you, and Kanato." He knew he was raising his voice, but he couldn't contain his emotions.

"Subaru, you're scaring me."

Yui hugged her arms and took a step away from Subaru, which didn't slip him by. But the fact was, there is no Ayato. She has never heard of this person, never even said such a name before. For Subaru to suddenly force that upon her was so unlike him.

Subaru paced around the room for a bit. She didn't know what was on his mind, except he definitely looked endlessly worried.

"Subaru, what's going on?"

He didn't immediately answer her, but after a few seconds, fixed his eyes on her.

"Just tell me what you remember, Yui. How many brothers do I have?"

Yui swallowed, but tried her best to comply. "There is Shu, Reiji, Kanato and Laito. And you."

"Do you remember you making takoyaki last time? Who was it for?"

"Uhm, I…I made them. And then I took them to eat by the lake…but I know I didn't finish them. Weren't they for myself?"

Subaru's lips were in a thin, hard line, and honestly, his gaze frightened her.

"At the school festival, whom were you rushing off to watch the fireworks with?"

"I was on my own-"

"Who did you first, y'know, have sex with?"

"That…I don't know, I-."

"What happened to your father-"

"Stop it! I said, I don't know!" She screamed, covering her ears. Her heart and mind were racing, and every hair on her body was standing. There was something wrong, and she knew it; the problem was with her. Something, someone, was missing in the picture.

"Yui!" Subaru literally zipped to her side, holding her, trying his best to comfort her in his way. "Dammit, I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean to."

Her heart was still pounding despite herself. "What's going on with me, Subaru?"

All she wanted was to have a peaceful, quiet life. She thought she was getting better about her father's death, but now this…the sudden memory loss made absolutely no sense.

"I think maybe Reiji would know what to do. I'll send a message back to the mansion. You stay here."

Subaru sat her down, before dashing out to engage a familiar for the duty. He was fast with whatever he wanted to say, and then he was back. Yui thought he might stay, but no sooner than she thought that, he started to reach for his jacket.

"'K, look, maybe someone at town knows about stuff like this, a witch or something. You wait here, and I'll go find someone to ask."

Yui couldn't stand it. She felt as though she'd go crazy, if she were left alone. She didn't want Subaru to go anywhere, at least, not right now.

"Please don't. Don't leave me." She took a bold step forward and hugged him, burying her face in his chest. The way he smelt, the way she fits against his tall frame; Right now, he was the only thing she knew. She doesn't think she'll be able to stand it if he leaves.

Seconds ticked by, and when Subaru raised a hand to smooth over her hair, reassuring her, it instantly made her feel safe.

"I'm not going anywhere."


It was dark and cold, a misty night with the moon hanging high above the clouds. It wasn't unlike other nights, but there's different about tonight's atmosphere.

"Yui! Chichinashi, where are you!" Ayato screamed. He was standing in the Sakamaki mansion, but it seemed oddly quiet. He couldn't sense anyone's presence; Not any one of his brothers, or Yui, seemed to be around. The mansion was incredibly quiet and eerie. Where is everyone?

Ayato spun his head around when a flash of lightning zipped pass outside the window. Right. He hasn't stopped looking for Yui.

"Chichinashi!" he yelled again. He'd been running all around the house, from her bedroom, to the kitchen to the living room. "Chichinashi!"

"Ayato?"

He turned around, and there she was at the end of the corridor. But Yui wasn't alone. Subaru emerged from behind the shadows, and he took her hand, right in front of him.

"Why you-," he growled, but just before he could even take a step closer to the two, Yui stopped him. "Ayato!"

"…Ayato, I have to tell you. I can't see you anymore."

"What?" he paused in his tracks.

"You killed my father, Ayato. All I wanted was for him to be well; I didn't even need to see him, I just wanted to know he was okay. But you…you murdered him. You took him away from me," she cried, her eyes brimming with hurt. "Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?"

"I didn't know he was your father!"

"Bullshit!" Subaru stepped in. "You'll murder anyone in cold blood. Just like what you did to your own mother."

"My mother drove me to the wall, she fucking deserved it-."

"Then, did my father deserve it too?"

"I didn't know he was a hunter-"

"Shut up!" Subaru wrapped his arms around Yui protectively, "From now on, the only person Yui will belong to, is me. You stay away from her."

Ayato's eyes widened when he saw Subaru then lean forward, placing his lips on top of Yui's. It felt as if his world was falling apart right in front of him. He wanted to spring forward to pull them apart, but while he tries to will his legs to do so - they refused to budge. No matter how hard he struggled, they refused to move.

"How pitiful." A sultry voice came from behind him. When Ayato turned around, he was standing at the edge of the river, staring into the deep, black pool of water.

"You never will come in first…" His mother's voice rang in his head. "Not in my eyes, not even in the eyes of your precious prey. You're a disappointment."

He saw his mother's hand reach out from the darkness, pushing him, and for some reason, he wasn't able to fight back, not even when his body hit the water. He wanted to shout, to move his limbs – But his body was unresponsive. He could only watch blindly in horror as he sunk lower and lower into its depths.

killed my father.

only person Yui will belong to is me.

You're a disappointment.

The words resounded in his head, over and over again. There was no use. He couldn't fight it. He-

Ayato sprang up, his eyes wide and his body hot. He scanned his surroundings, panting, and realised that he was still in the hospital in the demon world. The walls, the lights and the night sky outside, none of it were changed. Even the medicine that the doctor had applied onto his arm a few hours ago was still there, barely dry. As he clutched onto the fabric of his sheets, he realised that all of it was just a bad dream.

He rarely ever had dreams – or rather, nightmares – such as this one, but it all felt so real. It left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. Even when he laid his head back down onto his pillow, it felt impossible to go back to sleep.

His mind couldn't stop thinking, as he wiggled uncomfortably under his sheets.

The kiss between Subaru and Yui felt too real.

If only she were by his side now. If only he could just make sure.

With his hands balled up in fists, Ayato tried to shut his eyes and go back to sleep. But even with closed eyes, his mind was still just filled with Yui. He wonders if she's missing him, or if she's feeling lonely in the mansion without him. Does she even know that he's here in the demon world? Or maybe, she's still just mad at him for killing her dad. That would make sense.

He never quite understood her attitude towards her father. Not only did he abandon her, he lied to her, seeing that he turned out to be a fucking vampire hunter. (And he knows vampire hunters aren't made overnight.) That man was no different from his own mother, a woman who also lied and cheated and forced her children to do the things she wanted. In the end, they're all the same.

So he couldn't understand. But then again in the first place, Yui is different from the other potential brides. Even the way she laughs, cries or gives herself up to him, they're different.

I think I'm in love with you.

He thought back to the way she looked at him when she said that. He'll never want any other man to see that side of her, ever. He'll never accept Yui to be with anyone else but him.

He wished she were by his side right now, so he could take her blood, kiss the hell out of those lips, and then make love to her. He'll watch her expressions change as he does things to her body, and it'll make him feel something, something he has never felt, before Yui came into his life.

As he sorely misses the warmth that used to lie beside him, Ayato feels his eyelids getting heavier and heavier, and he drifts to sleep without realising. Little does he know, his world would completely change in the weeks to come.